posted at 6:07 pm on August 3, 2012 by Allahpundit

Via the Examiner, I understand why he punted here. His retort to Reid’s tax-evasion smear last night was that it’s an obvious, grotesque attempt to hand the media a new distraction from Obama’s record. He just got back from a foreign policy trip/photo op that was also submerged in distractions, most notably his Olympics comments in London and his aide’s “kiss my ass” comments to the press in Poland. He’s just begun pushing a more positive message keyed to his biography to convince undecideds that he’s up to the job. The last thing he wants right now is another distraction wrapped around his ankles, particularly on a day when the news is about the latest disappointing jobs report.

Given that the Chick-fil-A question here was packaged with another question about Bachmann and the Muslim Brotherhood, he had two dilemmas. One: If he weighs in on either, that’s a story and now suddenly he’s being asked about gay marriage and Islamism instead of jobs for the middle class. If you want a candidate who’s more interested in culture-war issues than economic growth, try Romney 2008. Two: If he weighs in only on Chick-fil-A, the easier of the two topics, then there’ll be a separate story on why he specifically ducked the question about Bachmann and he’ll hear it from her supporters and from the media for dodging. He probably figured he was better off playing it safe (as usual) and passing on both. Hey — if you wanted a nominee who’d inch out on the highwire to answer any question put to him, you should have nominated Newt.

Still, hurts to know that even a tool like Mike Bloomberg is capable of offering a righteous answer on CFA when called on to do so:

Critics trying to shut Chick-fil-A because its CEO opposes gay marriage are undermining the very essence of the Constitution, Mayor Bloomberg declared today in a stirring defense of the embattled fast food chain.

“It isn’t the right thing to do and it isn’t what America stands for,” Bloomberg said on his weekly WOR radio show. “And those people who don’t like (Chick-fil-A) don’t understand their rights were protected by people who took a difficult position in the past and stood by it. They stood up so everybody else would be free.”…

“What’s for sure is that government cannot in the United States, in America, under the Constitution, be run where you have a litmus test for the personal views of somebody when they want something in the commercial world.”

Barney Frank also managed to say a word against government discrimination towards Chick-fil-A. Ah well. Maybe Mitt will get another question about this tomorrow and say something about free speech even if he ends up avoiding the subject of gay marriage. Speaking of which, enjoy the second clip below. Not sure what’s gotten into Stewart lately, but this is a rare week during which most of his big hits have been at the expense of Democrats. Exit quotation via Mediaite: “Pretty sure you can’t outlaw a company with perfectly legal business practices because you find their CEO’s views repellant. Not sure which amendment covers that, but it’s probably in the top 1.”

Obama, already in favor of gay marriage, has little to gain by weighing in against a private company that operates primarily in red states on an issue that has already inflamed social conservatives. He has treaded lightly on the issue on the campaign trail, touting the repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy but avoided new calls for legalizing gay marriage since announcing he supported it in May.

Several officials in Obama’s White House and campaign did not respond Friday to requests for comment about Chick-fil-A. And there’s reason for the president to keep the issues away from the center of his reelection campaign. Obama can’t afford to alienate religious conservatives in the black community or give blue-collar Democratic whites in Ohio and Virginia another reason to vote against him.

Not a word from the president of the United States in defense of a business owner’s right to hold the political views he prefers without fear of government retribution?

Same sex marriage was not even a topic of discussion when Reagan was president. He never had to talk about something like that in public….ever..

Terrye on August 3, 2012 at 7:07 PM

No, but abortion was an issue, and Reagan duck it to the chorus of idiotic sycophants chanting “don’t take the bait”. Any question that can’t be answered “Obama is a poo poo head! And the economy sucks” is “ducking”. The problem is, Romney and his squishy sycophants deep down believe that the whole country is as basically liberal as they are, so they are terrified of having their candidate sound too conservative. Even after such a striking demonstration on Wednesday of just where the country probably stands.

That’s why this CFA thing is a big deal to hit Obambi with.
It’s not about SSM.

the_nile on August 3, 2012 at 7:34 PM

Yes, most paying attention or even reading twitter can tell it’s not about SSM but IS about Freedom of Religion AND about the intrusion or attempt to intrude into free enterprise for ulterior motives (whatever, what I mean is => unjust, unethical use of government or attempt to to ruin someone’s commerce).

Romney IS using that in his campaigning. It’s an aspect of Capitalism that the Left hates, is expressed in these unjust, screwy efforts to ruin people whose “ideas” they disagree with, usually those held by Christians and in growing focus, Jews.

Romney is smart to stay on course and above this fray. He’s not denying it, he’s not denigrating it, he’s staying on course and not getting into a mud-roll with jerks, meaning, those “big city mayors” and the Democratic Party.

Lourdes on August 3, 2012 at 7:31 PM

You seem to forget that Rahm Emmanuel was Chief of Staff for Obama. If Romney hits Emmanuel, he hits Obama. There is no separation between the two in this fight.

They’re already reporting Romney’s non-commitment on this at politico and elsewhere, with the emphasis that this behavior is consistent with the misrepresentation (?) that Romney takes both sides of every issue: http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/08/romney-chickfila-huma-abedin-not-part-of-my-campaign-131040.html#.UBw288uP6j8.twitte
This meme that Romney is a coreless convictionless panderer that can’t take a position could become the #1 effective attack against Mitt, played over and over and over and over again, and it could stick, and hobble the campaign, demoralizing conservatives, and causing independents and Dems to laugh out loud (lol). Walk this back quickly before it can be taken up and used in that fashion by the opposition.

This meme that Romney is a coreless convictionless panderer that can’t take a position could become the #1 effective attack against Mitt, played over and over and over and over again, and it could stick, and hobble the campaign, demoralizing conservatives, and causing independents and Dems to laugh out loud (lol). Walk this back quickly before it can be taken up and used in that fashion by the opposition.

anotherJoe on August 3, 2012 at 7:39 PM

I was afraid of this happening. Again, I say this was a serious misstep for Romney. He should have focused on the First Amendment regarding this issue – it would have also changed the media narrative from SSM and forced them to report his words as such.

Well, let’s hope he doesn’t blow any other opportunity that comes his way.

The problem is, Romney and his squishy sycophants deep down believe that the whole country is as basically liberal as they are, so they are terrified of having their candidate sound too conservative.

ddrintn on August 3, 2012 at 7:37 PM

Ohh, riiight, being prolife, seeking to reduce the size and use of government, supporting the Freedom of Religion, believing in Christian or “Christian-Judeo” theology and reason, not being a Global Warmer, seeking to encourage and proliferate our nation’s energy independence, reduction of taxes, reduction of regulations, seeking to ensure our Constitution, elect Conservative and Moderate Supreme Court justies, and..

I still don’t understand why Stewart is considered funny. What am I missing?……………….Never mind, I really don’t care. ; )

Bmore on August 3, 2012 at 7:43 PM

I agree, have never found him “funny” but what I think it is about him that generates his popularity is his “snarking ability” — note that his primary audience is “youth”: he’s popular among those who think snarking and being a smart-alec means you’re rich and beautiful and a celebrity.

This meme that Romney is a coreless convictionless panderer that can’t take a position could become the #1 effective attack against Mitt, played over and over and over and over again, and it could stick, and hobble the campaign, demoralizing conservatives, and causing independents and Dems to laugh out loud (lol). Walk this back quickly before it can be taken up and used in that fashion by the opposition.

Ohh, riiight, being prolife, seeking to reduce the size and use of government, supporting the Freedom of Religion, believing in Christian or “Christian-Judeo” theology and reason, not being a Global Warmer, seeking to encourage and proliferate our nation’s energy independence, reduction of taxes, reduction of regulations, seeking to ensure our Constitution, elect Conservative and Moderate Supreme Court justies, and..

Still, hurts to know that even a tool like Mike Bloomberg is capable of offering a righteous answer on CFA when called on to do so:

Critics trying to shut Chick-fil-A because its CEO opposes gay marriage are undermining the very essence of the Constitution, Mayor Bloomberg declared today in a stirring defense of the embattled fast food chain.

Maybe Romney needs to pick Bloomberg as his VP to swing his ticket further to the right.

I say the public supported CFA in record numbers because we still believe in Free Speech. Even nanny boobberg said the same. If y’all think this was all about opposing same sex marriage, on either side of the issue, I think you’re totally wrong.
ladyingray on August 3, 2012 at 7:28 PM

You might have quoted the wrong person. I didn’t say anything in my post about gay marriage. In fact, the support from both sides shows this is more about freedom of people to have opinions, even popular opinions.

Several officials in Obama’s White House and campaign did not respond Friday to requests for comment about Chick-fil-A. And there’s reason for the president to keep the issues away from the center of his reelection campaign. Obama can’t afford to alienate religious conservatives in the black community

Maybe Palin will invite you to rearrange her bangs so you can get so much closer to her.

Lourdes on August 3, 2012 at 7:52 PM

Does she really haunt your thoughts on such a constant basis?

sharrukin on August 3, 2012 at 7:54 PM

Ha, “haunt my thoughts”. I hit “mute” on FOX when she’s on Greta’s show just because her voice is like nails across a chalkboard and my patience with the gripped mouth snarking nasty insults while trying to claim she’s “joking” is now exhausted.

I see that she’s doing real work to support some credible candidates but I’ve never found her idol material. Nor the stuff of dreams OR nightmares. Sorry to burst your meme.

Ha, “haunt my thoughts”. I hit “mute” on FOX when she’s on Greta’s show just because her voice is like nails across a chalkboard and my patience with the gripped mouth snarking nasty insults while trying to claim she’s “joking” is now exhausted.

Obama can’t afford to alienate religious conservatives in the black community

He’s done this already. But to my dismay, many of them will still vote for him “because he’s Black” (so they claim)…it’s the foolishness of the Left, they will always have just enough “community” types who will vote for them no matter what. Obama’s been so utterly reveale to be a stooge and a crooked one at that that if they haven’t by this time seen the light, they never will.

The Democrats use these “ecoomic/sexual/money/skincolor” issues to fan certain people into a frenzy and then they keep them in line at the ballot box. It’s unfortunte, to state the obvious.

I’m afraid that could become a real rallying cry over the next month as a huge number of everyday conservatives and moderate conservatives have just been pushed too far, and they push for some kind of convention miracle or something to end the nightmare.
Well, unless Mitt quickly walks back this unforced error. Show some conviction on the CFA issue. As Krauthammer said: “show some ideology,” don’t shirk this issue. It is of critical importance now.

Honestly, can anyone imagine Reagan taking a look at this issue and saying “that’s not part of my campaign”? That’s the difference between a landslide winner and a squishy electoral loser.
ddrintn on August 3, 2012 at 7:42 PM

Really, that quote is damn near close to, “That’s above my pay grade.”

And it looks like the media is going to give him grief for not even tackling this issue. So much for trying do fly below radar of the MSM. Might as well have gone for a conservative response anyway. But all we got is nothing and a hostile media.

Romney doesn’t have to go head first into this, but he should at least say that he thinks that people have a right to not support “Gay” “marriage” without being attack by mayors who would like to shut them down and maybe even kill them.

A person who wants to be Leader of the free world doesn’t want to defend a company’s right to free speech.

Why are you running for President then?

RedRobin145 on August 3, 2012 at 8:02 PM

He wants power. This isn’t about anything he believes in because he doesn’t actually believe in much at all. He’s been on both sides of most issues when its convenient to do so in his quest for power. If being a liberal would put him in the White House then he would run as a Democrat.

ROMNEY ANTI-PALIN
Former Mitt Romney presidential campaign staffers, some of whom are currently working for Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin’s bid for the White House, have been involved in spreading anti-Palin spin to reporters, seeking to diminish her standing after the election. “Sarah Palin is a lightweight, she won’t be the first, not even the third, person people will think of when it comes to 2012,” says one former Romney aide, now working for McCain-Palin. “The only serious candidate ready to challenge to lead the Republican Party is Mitt Romney. He’s in charge on November 5th.”

Romney has kept a low profile nationally since being denied the vice presidential nomination. He is currently traveling for the National Republican Congressional Committee in support of some House members, and has attended events for a handful of other House members who have sought his support, but he has traveled little for the McCain-Palin ticket. “He said the only time he’d travel for us is if we assured him that national cameras would be there,” says a McCain campaign communications aide. “He’s traveled to Nevada and a couple other states for us. That’s about it.”

Should McCain-Palin not win next week, Romney is expected to mount another presidential run, though it isn’t clear that he has handled himself particularly well since losing the nomination. He failed to support or espouse conservative positions on the economic bailout bill in an effective or meaningful way, and he has turned down opportunities to endorse and work for conservative candidates in House or Senate seats unless they were assured of winning.

The most glaring oversight was Romney’s refusal to do a phone recording for Massachusetts Republican Jeff Beatty, who is challenging Sen. John Kerry. “Mitt supposedly cares about Massachusetts, but won’t even return phone calls asking for help,” says a conservative working for Beatty in Boston. “It’s a tough race, but the least he could do is help. He’s showing his true colors.”

Some former Romney aides were behind the recent leaks to media, including CNN, that Governor Sarah Palin was a “diva” and was going off message intentionally. The former and current Romney supporters further are pushing Romney supporters for key Republican jobs, including head of the Republican National Committee.

ROMNEY ANTI-PALIN
Former Mitt Romney presidential campaign staffers, some of whom are currently working for Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin’s bid for the White House, have been involved in spreading anti-Palin spin to reporters, seeking to diminish her standing after the election. “Sarah Palin is a lightweight, she won’t be the first, not even the third, person people will think of when it comes to 2012,” says one former Romney aide, now working for McCain-Palin. “The only serious candidate ready to challenge to lead the Republican Party is Mitt Romney. He’s in charge on November 5th.”

Romney has kept a low profile nationally since being denied the vice presidential nomination. He is currently traveling for the National Republican Congressional Committee in support of some House members, and has attended events for a handful of other House members who have sought his support, but he has traveled little for the McCain-Palin ticket. “He said the only time he’d travel for us is if we assured him that national cameras would be there,” says a McCain campaign communications aide. “He’s traveled to Nevada and a couple other states for us. That’s about it.”

Should McCain-Palin not win next week, Romney is expected to mount another presidential run, though it isn’t clear that he has handled himself particularly well since losing the nomination. He failed to support or espouse conservative positions on the economic bailout bill in an effective or meaningful way, and he has turned down opportunities to endorse and work for conservative candidates in House or Senate seats unless they were assured of winning.

The most glaring oversight was Romney’s refusal to do a phone recording for Massachusetts Republican Jeff Beatty, who is challenging Sen. John Kerry. “Mitt supposedly cares about Massachusetts, but won’t even return phone calls asking for help,” says a conservative working for Beatty in Boston. “It’s a tough race, but the least he could do is help. He’s showing his true colors.”

Some former Romney aides were behind the recent leaks to media, including CNN, that Governor Sarah Palin was a “diva” and was going off message intentionally. The former and current Romney supporters further are pushing Romney supporters for key Republican jobs, including head of the Republican National Committee.

The most spiteful, hateful and destructive statements all over the internet and throughout the media otherwise against Romney and many a Republican in the 2007/08 campaign calendar was from the McCainPalin people and campaigns. All Obama had to do during the last year of his schedule was smile and let McCainPalin take it down for him.

There are improvements to be made, always, in the GOP but destroying it and leading candidates isn’t the way to go about it, unless it’s the Democrats one wants to surge.

He wants power. This isn’t about anything he believes in because he doesn’t actually believe in much at all. He’s been on both sides of most issues when its convenient to do so in his quest for power. If being a liberal would put him in the White House then he would run as a Democrat.

This meme that Romney is a coreless convictionless panderer that can’t take a position could become the #1 effective attack against Mitt, played over and over and over and over again, and it could stick, and hobble the campaign, demoralizing conservatives, and causing independents and Dems to laugh out loud (lol). Walk this back quickly before it can be taken up and used in that fashion by the opposition.

anotherJoe on August 3, 2012 at 7:39 PM

“The #1 effective attack against Mitt”……because it’s true and the truth is difficult to repudiate.

Seriously! What part of a slow pitch over the plate to be driven into the stands for the home crowd doesn’t Mittoast understand? The Chic-fil-A dust-up is exactly the sort of thing he could have used to win over some of us “I’ll vote for him but I’m holding my nose” crowd. He could have crushed that ‘slow pitch’ of an issue. Instead it is “the batter lets that one go by and a strike is called” He continually passes on all the juicy ‘slow pitches’ that Obama and events have given him. Obama should be ten points down at this point. But no, we have Mittoast at the plate with his bat on shoulder watching the balls go over the plate. And the ones he does swing at he only fouls away. Everyday I get a worsening feeling about November.

To answer the main question of the post by Allahpundit, about why Gov. Romney didn’t say anything about the Muslim Brotherhood + Huma Abedin. What is going on is the definition of McCarthite.

To smear someone, Huma Abedin, because of her parents beliefs. That is un-American. If anyone, Rep. Bachmann included, has any proof that Ms. Abedin has aided any terrorist organization, then they need to step forward, with names. Just like if the H. Reid has ANY proof, or acceptable testimony, about Gov. Romney’s tax return’s. They must put it forward or STFU.

I have no idea of Ms. Abedin’s politics and I could not care less about her parents. I am an American. I do not inherit the sins of my father. Even on sites that are “thoughtful”, National Review, there is the accusation that Ms. Abedin’s Dad was a terrorist, so she must be in co-hoots.

Republicans and Conservatives are going to lose this election because some of them are so upset, they will not vote for Gov. Romney unless he starts to SCREAM N-word, N-word, N-word. And if he doesn’t, he’s a socialist wimp. Just ask Newsweak.

It isn’t about SSM marriage. It is about DEMOCRATS using the government to shut down free speech even at the risk of losing jobs. Rahm Emmanuel worked for Obama and is tied to him.

melle1228 on August 3, 2012 at 7:20 PM

No, it isn’t, except to the LSM. Bloomberg spoke out against this stand by ‘rat governors, and I can’t stand that man.

Romney was smart. If you choose not to vote for him because he didn’t defend a chicken sandwich to your personal liking, then so be it, obaka lover. (And I have spent my money at CFA three days this week, so I’d advise you NOT to go there…)

The Chik FilA battle was won ,convincingly, 2 days ago by the conservatives. Everyone I knew, liberal and non political, were all on the side of the 1st and against Chicago values. The day after, appreciation day, was just confirmation that people were paying attention and it mattered to them.

Someone advising Romney has either got a big tin hearing aide or is pro gay marriage because this was a SLAM dunk. He could have even added some PC into his statement “as long as ChikFilA doesn’t discriminate in their hiring practices then …..”

A win win. Obama would have stayed silent and come off as detached and unAmerican.

Your kind doesn’t *get it*: it’s not about Palin, it’s about you. It’s like you’ve bought ten million Obama teeshirts and bleached out his name and then written “Palin” on them while seeping your tea daily in tin cups stenciled with “Palin” in a house shaped like a “P” while you paint yourselves with the name, Palin.”

It’s like people who drive cars but act like jerks and then harass people who don’t drive what they do by following them home, loitering on their lawn and snipping their utility wires “to make a point that you’re being a jerk.”

They never get it — and you all don’t — that it’s you who are acting like jerks. You’ve got Palin as a big balloon but it doesn’t change the fact that you act like jerks.

If you wonder why others don’t want to drive your car, have you on their lawn or look at your big balloon, it’s because we’re busy being busy with other things and try to avoid eye contact and talking to you because regardless of what is said, you’ll cut our utility wires because you’re “mad”.

I’m not sure which is the more lame response, “that’s not part of my campaign”, or “that’s above my pay grade”.

exceller on August 3, 2012 at 8:47 PM

I found out where that stupid Obama remark originated: was watching an older episode of “HOUSE MD” the other day and he replies (to a question an associate asks of him, while the associate, another doctor, should have known the answer already), anyway, House responds, “that’s BENEATH my paygrade.”

Meaning, bug off, don’t bother me, why are you even asking me that question and why don’t you know that already.

That was Obama being snarky by trying to cashin on some screenwriter’s dialogue but “flipping it”. It only emphasizes how utterly lame that remark by Obama was and him for using it.

If you choose not to vote for him because he didn’t defend a chicken sandwich to your personal liking, then so be it

ladyingray on August 3, 2012 at 8:40 PM

And where Rosa Parks sat on that bus, was just a dispute over seating arrangements right? Or could it be that there was a lot more involved in both matters?

sharrukin on August 3, 2012 at 8:45 PM

I wonder if you know the details about what Rosa Parks did…I’m guessing you don’t.

While I think her dedication to self-worth, self-value, was important and respectable, what she did was refuse to give her seat to AN ELDERLY, FRAIL SICK MAN who was also White.

She made the old, frail, sick guy stand and ignored his plight

Just because she wanted to make a point that she was Black and could sit wherever she wanted.

It was, in reality, the gesture of a cruel person on an interpersonal level, not a heroic deed. If she’d cared, she’d have given the old,, frail, sick guy her seat because it was about him being an old, frail, sick guy, not a White one.

Meanwhile, she got applauded for her cruelty. I think her concept of “equality” was a good one but I don’t respect Rosa Parks for her cruelty to that old guy.

Next you’ll be claiming that some guy told you Romney hasn’t paid any taxes.

Alberta_Patriot on August 3, 2012 at 8:09 PM

So the editorial board of the AMERICAN SPECTATOR=Harry Reid and Reid’s completely unsupported charges of tax evasion are equal in credibility to the known hatred of Palin evinced by such people as Kevin Madden?

Boy, you Mittbots are truly pathetic at evading the truth about your candidate. This little act of moral gutlessness in re Chick-fil-a is quintessential Mitt, a prime profile of moral cowardice. He didn’t substantially campaign for the ticket in 2008, and (barring supporting a fellow Rockefeller Republican candidate in MA in Scott Brown) was likewise AWOL during the Tea Party election as well.

Just keep kicking conservatives in the teeth, that’s a winning strategy.

I fear we will be hearing these same type of excuses for the next four years if Mitt gets elected…

idesign on August 3, 2012 at 8:52 PM

And, it might get difficult with your sinking website visits and the same old crowd of commenter complaining about how the evulll GOP is, you know, evulll and has to be destroyed with Glowbots or something.

Just keep kicking conservatives in the teeth, that’s a winning strategy.

ebrown2 on August 3, 2012 at 8:59 PM

Ditto. As in, touche.

Except no one is a “bot” nor are the “Mittbotts kicking conservatives”. We’re confronting the false pretense of being a conservative while espousing Leftwing political objectives, otherwise called “working the room” for the Left while wearing the ever so evasive nametag that reads, “Hi, my name is Conservative and you’re not.”

In defense of both Mitt and BO, when these guys go off script or try to answer questions for which they haven’t practiced the answers, things can go terribly wrong (i.e.,”you didn’t build that”) or the boys go rattling off on social issues that are like quicksand. We know what Mitt and BO feel about free speech and gay marriage. Why are we expecting a perfectly crafted answer for everything? We know. And we know who’s getting our vote.

More than 20 protesters gathered at one of the fast-food restaurants in Decatur, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb, where Mark Toomajian kissed his partner, Jim Fortier, 58, for the cameras.

WOW!!! “More than 20 protesters”!!! Well, unlike the non-news story of the other day, when thousands of Conservatives rallied to support Chick-fil-A (which required helicopters with long range lenses to capture the long lines and action at a single shop), these 20 protesters are SERIOUS news!!